Inset: Charles Brooks (Parker County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The home in Azle, Texas, where Brooks allegedly shot and killed his daughter (Google Maps).
A North Texas father has been jailed after authorities say he fatally shot his daughter while attempting to intervene in a family dispute on Father’s Day.
Charles Tod Brooks, 61, is facing one count of murder in connection with the death of 25-year-old Rebekah Bailey Brooks, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Deputies were called Sunday to a residence in Azle, a small city about 15 miles northwest of Fort Worth, after a 911 report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound.
According to the sheriff’s office, responding deputies found the victim, described as an adult woman, and immediately began lifesaving efforts. “Medic 71 and Fire Rescue arrived on scene and took over CPR and life saving measures but were unsuccessful,” the agency said.
Authorities said investigators determined “very early in the investigation” that the fatal shot had been fired by the victim’s father.
Brooks, however, has maintained that the shooting was accidental.
Witnesses told investigators the incident began as a physical confrontation between Rebekah Brooks and her mother inside the home, according to the sheriff’s office.
As the fight continued, Charles Brooks moved to break things up, according to law enforcement. The defendant himself allegedly “confessed” to retrieving a handgun, loading the weapon, and then chambering one bullet before attempting to separate the two women, the sheriff’s office said.
“It was Mr. Brooks’ account that while attempting to separate the two women the gun was fired and the bullet struck the victim in the chest,” the press release reads.
Initially, law enforcement did not release details about the street where the shooting occurred or the victim’s name. Azle is a largely rural city located in northeast Parker County. On Tuesday, Newsweek reported the incident occurred on Antler Ridge Court.
The autopsy was performed by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, which shared the victim’s name, according to Dallas-based ABC affiliate WFAA.
“[T]houghts and prayers of the Sheriff’s Office are with the family and loved ones of this victim,” Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said.
It remains unclear what Rebekah Brooks and her mother were arguing about that allegedly spurred the elder Brooks into action.
Law&Crime reached out to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office for additional details on this story, but the office did not immediately respond.
The defendant is currently detained in the Parker County Jail on $2 million bond — an amount set by the local justice of the peace.
Charles Brooks’ felony case was not immediately docketed online, court records show.
Texas Rangers have joined the investigation, which is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.
